Students Against Nuclear Power

Students Against Nuclear Power (SANP) from Kojhikode (Kerala) staged a inspiring 8 day indefinite Hunger Strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi since 10th March 2008. Students were demanding that the Government of India must not sign the Indo-US Nuclear deal, because of the harmful effects it bears not only for the present generation, but also for the future generations. On 17th March they ended up their indefinite hunger strike after getting assurance by CPI leader and MP (Rajya Sabha) D Raja to raise their concern outside and inside parliament. D Raja also expreesed his opposition on the nuclear deal and explained the current situation of dialogue between the UPA Government and the Left parties.

On the first day Susan George, the author of more than a dozen books, and Chair of the Planning Board of the Transnational Institute (Amsterdam) delivered the inaugural speech in support of the hunger strike on 10th March. Praful Bidwai, Anil Chaudhary, Wilfred D’Costa, Sandeep Pandey and Achin Vanaik were also present there and expressed their view in solidarity. Eminent writer Arundhati Roy also visited and backed the anti-nuclear students and said that she was “absolutely against the proposed nuclear deal and (this) protest was “an admirable and moral move by a group of students.”

People from different walks declared support to the struggle by the students and visited the struggle at Jantar Mantar. Members of Parliament including: Panyan Raveendran, P Karunakaran, CK Chandrappan, PP Koya (Lakhshwadeep) & PC Thomas visited the struggle and expressed their solidarity and agreed to raise the issue with the Prime Minster and President of India. Several people including Medha Patkar, Kalpana Mehta, Swami Agnivesh, JNUSU president Sandeep, Radhika Menon, Manisha Sethi, Bhupendra Rawat, Gabriela, Celia and several other people’s movement leaders and visionaries also turned up and declared support. People’s Movements and Solidarity Organisations including CNDP, Sangharsh, National Alliance of People’s Movements, Delhi Solidarity Group, Asha parivar, Indian Social Action Forum, PEACE, FDI, YUVA, AID, etc declared support to the students’ struggle. Students from Delhi University, Jawaharlal University, Jamiad Milia University, etc also visited the struggle and declared solidarity.